


Approval

by babycore



Series: My Upperclassman [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Hope's Peak Academy, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23666065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babycore/pseuds/babycore
Summary: Makoto wants to thank Hajime for the praise, but doesn't know how.Continuation of Appreciation
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Naegi Makoto, Maizono Sayaka & Naegi Makoto
Series: My Upperclassman [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704034
Comments: 3
Kudos: 66





	Approval

**Author's Note:**

> people really liked my last hinaegi fic and really wanted more, so here's more! i have an idea for one more connected hinaegi fic after this one, so it'll be a trilogy! dedicated to everyone who wanted more hinaegi after appreciation :)
> 
> trigger warning for hiyoko bullying mikan and makoto as well as past bullying mention but other than that i think it's okay!
> 
> also not beta read but i never beta read before posting lol

It had been five days since Hajime had passed Makoto in the hall and praised him; just under a week. Almost every moment since then, he had been trying to think of what to say or do for Hajime to show his gratefulness for the praise. He thought about writing him a letter, or giving him a small present, or even just going up to him and striking up a conversation, but none of those seemed quite right. Not to mention, every time he thought about going up to Hajime and talking to him, his heart started fluttering and he felt warm...

It was incredibly weird. Makoto had never really felt this way around Hajime before. He had always felt a little shy, as underclassmen usually did with their upperclassmen, but never like this. Never warm and jittery and weird. It wasn't bad, not particularly, but it was strange.

He thought about asking someone for advice, but he wasn't sure who. Leon popped into his head, since the rockstar did have some charm to him, but something about asking him for advice made him... nervous. Leon had a strong personality, and any advice he received from him would probably be super out of character for him. Like learn to play the electric guitar and serenade him. Yeah, like Makoto fit that image.

He was also close with Kyouko and Byakuya, but he couldn't imagine they'd give very helpful advice either. Kyouko would say that she doesn't understand the problem and to just go thank him, and Byakuya would tell him to stop wasting his time. He considered other classmates, too, like Junko, or Aoi, or Chihiro... but they were all so different from him, he couldn't imagine getting any helpful advice.

Finally, he realized maybe there was somebody who could help him.

***

Sayaka had to think about this for a moment. How to thank someone for something without seeming too clingy while still properly expressing your gratitude.

"Well..." Sayaka hummed. "I don't really think you're gonna like this answer, but maybe you should just go up to him and talk to him."

Makoto sighed, wondering if he should just admit defeat. "I was afraid you were going to say that..."

"No, that's not what I meant!" Sayaka said quickly. "Please don't act so defeated, Naegi-kun! I just mean... you have a crush on Hinata-senpai, right?"

"What—?" Makoto choked out, turning bright red at the question. How did she know? He himself had only realized his crush a few days ago! "How did you...?"

"I'm an ESPer, remember?" Sayaka teased. "Seriously, though... it's a little obvious."

Makoto groaned, hiding his face behind his hands. That was so humiliating. How long did people know? Did they know before he even knew? "Ugh..."

"Naegi-kun..." Sayaka sighed. "How are you so sure Hinata-senpai doesn't have a crush on you too?"

Makoto's face lit up bright red, like an overly glowing bulb on a string of Christmas lights. The idea of Hajime having a crush on him... 

"No way, Maizono-san... don't tease me."

"I'm not!" Sayaka huffed. "I wouldn't suggest that if I didn't think it was at least plausible!"

Makoto slowly removed his hands from his face, his cheeks warm and heart racing. Sayaka really thought it was possible that Hajime had a crush on him...?

"Please talk to him, Naegi-kun. You're always doing so much to take care of our class with very little personal gain... You need to take care of yourself too."

Makoto relaxed a little. Even Sayaka realized how much he did for his class...

"Okay," Makoto agreed, though he was still nervous. "Maybe I should... Maybe I will talk to him."

***

Finding Hajime wasn't especially hard, because wherever there was trouble with his classmates, there was a Hajime trying to de-escalate. And trouble there was.

"Saionji-san!" the familiar voice of an upperclassman sobbed, right nearby the school store. "Please let go, Saionji-san!"

"Nah," a voice that was probably Hiyoko's said with a snicker. "Hey, c'mon piggy, stop moving! Gotta get this gum in your hair somehow. Your hair is just so greasy I can't get a good grip!"

Makoto turned the corner to the school store, finding Hiyoko with a handful of Mikan's hair and a closed fist holding what was probably the gum she planned on putting in Mikan's hair. Mikan was struggling, whimpering.

Being an underclassman, Makoto didn't feel comfortable saying anything, especially since Hiyoko was kind of mean. But Mikan looked like she was scared too, and Makoto suddenly felt more uncomfortable not saying anything. He had delt with more than his fair share of bullying in his lifetime too, and he didn't like watching anyone get hurt, and Hajime wasn't here to step in himself.

"Saionji-senpai," Makoto choked out, his voice cracking. "Maybe... could you please leave Tsumiki-senpai alone? I don't think she was doing anything, so..."

Hiyoko let go of Mikan and turned to Makoto. "Eh? Aren't you that first year who only got in as a lucky student? Is that how you talk to your superiors?"

"I..." Makoto looked away, blushing. Mikan hadn't run off, but instead was looking at him apologetically.

"I should stick this gum in your hair instead!" Hiyoko giggled. "C'mere, pleb! C'mere, c'mere!"

Makoto wasn't sure what to say or do, but before he could figure it out, a voice behind him chimed in, "Knock it off, Saionji. Stop bullying people in the halls."

Makoto knew it was Hajime before he even turned around to look at him. The upperclassman was standing there, looking tired. Annoyed. Nagito and Chiaki were there too, but Chiaki was showing Nagito something in her game. Both were engrossed.

Hiyoko whined. "Hinata! You're no fun..."

"Not my problem," Hajime sighed. "Tsumiki, why are you still standing here? Naegi tried to save you, didn't he?"

Mikan realized that she really should have just ran off. She gave a quick, polite bow before scurrying off. Hiyoko didn't last much either, grumbling something about how boys didn't know how to have fun as she left them alone as well, leaving the opposite way from Mikan.

Now was Makoto's chance, seeing as he was semi-alone with Hajime. Nagito and Chiaki were really barely there, mostly in the game.

"Um... Hinata-senpai!" he exclaimed.

Hajime was a little taken aback by Makoto's forwardness. "Yeah?"

"Thank you for the other day!" Makoto forced out before he could chicken out. "Thank you...! For... for praising me. And thank you for this, too... For keeping Saionji-senpai from bullying me."

Hajime's tired expression quickly broke into a smile instead, his eyes lighting up a little. "No need to thank me. Somebody needed to tell you that you're doing good." He glanced behind him at his friends before looking back at Makoto and added, "I should get going before these two disasters walk into a wall, but let's talk again soon... please?"

Makoto couldn't help but light up as well. Hajime said please, implying he genuinely wanted to talk again and wasn't just being polite.

"Yes!" Makoto chirped. "Let's talk again soon!"

Hajime smiled a little more, patting Makoto's head. "Awesome. Come find me if you ever need me, Naegi."

He walked past, Nagito and Chiaki still with their noses in the game. Makoto couldn't help but worry about Nagito walking into a wall too, but mostly, he was ecstatic.

But then he thought about what Sayaka had said earlier, about Hajime potentially having a crush on him too.

He turned bright red again. There was no way... right?

Right?

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! part 3 coming soon!


End file.
